Parliament LIVE | With 97 Oppn MPs out, LS passes 3 criminal code bills, telecom bill
The Lok Sabha, with 97 Opposition members suspended for “misconduct”, passed three crucial bills to replace the colonial-era criminal laws and the Telecommunications Bill on Wednesday (December 20).
The three redrafted criminal code bills — the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill — were introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week.
These bills will replace the Indian Penal Code (1860), the Code of Criminal Procedure Act (1898), and the Indian Evidence Act (1872), respectively.
Earlier in the day, the Lower House suspended two more Opposition MPs for showing placards in the House even as the ruckus in the Parliament over the security breach issue and the mass suspension of MPs continued.
With Opposition lawmakers refusing to budge from their demands, Thomas Chazhikadan of the Kerala Congress (Mani) and AM Ariff of the CPI(M) were suspended for misconduct after a resolution moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi was adopted by the House.
This takes the number of suspended MPs in the Lok Sabha to 97. So far 143 opposition MPs have been suspended from the two Houses of Parliament.Amid this, the issue of Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee allegedly mimicking Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar took centre stage with the government condemning the act.
Banerjee, however, struck a defiant note on the incident, while maintaining that he had not named or mentioned either the Lok Sabha Speaker or the Rajya Sabha Chairman in his act and had utmost respect for Dhankhar.
Amid repeated adjournments in the Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs staged a protest near the Gandhi statue against the suspension of their colleagues.
On Tuesday, 49 more Opposition lawmakers were suspended from Lok Sabha for unruly behaviour, taking the total number of MPs facing action in both Houses of Parliament to 141 and prompting the INDIA coalition to announce nationwide anti-government protests on Friday (December 22).
Follow this space for more live updates:
Live Updates
- 20 Dec 2023 11:20 AM IST
It's going to be my way or the highway: Karti Chidambaram
"This is going to be the trend. It's my way or the highway. If you don't fall in line we will throw you out because we have the majority. We control both the Houses. They want to turn the Parliament into a stamping House," says Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on the suspension of Opposition MPs.
#WATCH | On suspension of 141 Opposition MPs, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram says, "This is going to be the trend. It's my way or the highway. If you don't fall in line we will throw you out because we have the majority. We control both the Houses. They want to turn the Parliament… pic.twitter.com/N0DvmGli8E
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2023 - 20 Dec 2023 10:04 AM IST
‘They ask too many questions,’ says Hema Malini on MP suspensions
“See they (Opposition leaders) ask so many questions and behave in a weird way. That’s why they have been suspended. Their suspension means they have done something wrong,” BJP MP Hema Malini said while commenting on the suspension of 141 Opposition MPs.
Her comments drew flak from Opposition leaders who said it shows the BJP’s motive to silence voices of dissent.
- 20 Dec 2023 9:09 AM IST
General body meeting of Congress Parliamentary Party to be held at today, in Central Hall of Sanvidhan Sadan, Parliament House.
- 20 Dec 2023 8:39 AM IST
Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023 in RS
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is to move the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha today for consideration and return to provide for the immediate effect for a limited period of provisions in Bills relating to the imposition or increase of duties of customs or excise. The Bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha.
- 20 Dec 2023 8:38 AM IST
Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 to be tabled in RS
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is to move the Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha today for consideration and return further to amend the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. The Bill was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha.
- 20 Dec 2023 8:37 AM IST
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is expected to move a motion in the Rajya Sabha for election to the court of the University of Delhi so that the House proceed to elect, in such a manner as directed by the Chairman, one member from amongst the members of the House to be a member of the Court of the University of Delhi.
